Walkways are often erected next to railways, particularly next to elevated railways. Such walkways may facilitate access to the tracks for maintenance staff. Walkways may also be erected to provide a safe platform for receiving passengers exiting from trains in the event of an emergency or an unscheduled stop between stations.
FIGS. 17A-C show an example section of a prior art walkway. In the illustrated example, a steel frame is provided which includes a number of vertical posts 10, diagonal braces 12, lateral supports 14, upper longitudinal supports 16 and lower longitudinal supports 18. Lateral supports 14 support one or more cable trays 20 (see FIG. 17C) for carrying cables. A cover plate 17 may be attached between upper longitudinal supports 16 and lower longitudinal supports 18. Upper longitudinal supports 16 support a plurality of decking planks 30, which are typically covered with safety tread to provide increased traction.
Typical prior art walkways are generally constructed primarily from steel, due to its strength. However, steel can be relatively difficult to work with, and is relatively heavy, which can lead to increased costs. Also, it is often not cost effective to form curved walkways from steel, so instead prior art walkways are typically made up of a number of straight sections when the walkway is placed alongside a curved railway.
The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations related thereto are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings.